With their sights set on creating a world-class sports car, Volvo turned to engineering consultant Helmer Petterson to help them break into the lucrative U.S. and European markets. With the company still licking their wounds from the disastrous P1900 (of which only 68 were ever sold), the company put Petterson behind the wheel of a new concept car he would drive all the way to West Germany for a meeting at the headquarters of legendary auto manufacturer Karmann. This vehicle was ready for prime time, and an agreement was made to start production the following year – until Volkswagen got wind of the project and decided to flex their muscle. VW saw this new car as competition, and threatened to cancel all business with Karmann if they moved forward with this partnership. On the brink of the entire project being destroyed, Petterson found outside financing and a willing manufacturing company, allowing Volvo to finally create the sports car they had been wanting: The P1800. A few iterations later, and Volvo would introduce the version described here, known as the 1800S.

With enhanced power, performance, and quality, the 1800S was coveted back then and a bona fide classic today. In addition to being a great-looking, head-turning, well-made car, it benefitted from two great PR events. The first was the car’s appearance in the 1960’s TV show, The Saint. For eight years, British actor Roger Moore portrayed the smooth criminal Simon Templar, famous for both his dashing good looks and his Volvo 1800. This lifted the profile of Volvo and helped the car reach iconic status. Much like the famous James Bond cars, this vehicle would forever be linked to the show. The second PR coup came by way of Volvo owner Irv Gordon, whose 1800S set the Guinness World Record for most miles driven on one car. At the time of his death in 2018, Irv had driven his Volvo more than 3.25 million miles, helping Volvo establish itself as a high-quality and reliable brand.

Classic cars are often built on sacrifice and trade-offs. You can either have a sexy car that’s always in need of repair, or a reliable car that lacks appeal. Volvo managed to create the best of both worlds with the 1800S. Sporty, well-made, and quick, with the cachet of being featured in a hit TV show. Only a few vehicles ever achieve television fame. There’s the Ferrari 308 from Magnum P.I., the Pontiac Trans-Am from Knight Rider, and the Dodge Charger from The Dukes of Hazzard, to name a few. Add the Volvo 1800S to that list, as the cool car driven by The Saint.